» Clean Water Current Archive

August 24, 2012

NACWA Discusses Recreational Water Quality Criteria Revision Developments with EPA

EPA is working to address comments received in response to its December 2011 proposed revisions to its recreational water quality criteria – all in an effort to meet an upcoming court-ordered deadline to publish the final criteria.  NACWA has met with the Agency on several occasions, including via conference call this week, to learn EPA’s progress and assess how the large number of comments received may impact the final criteria.  The December 2011 proposed revisions maintained the current criteria values, last updated in 1986, which raised the ire of many environmental and public health groups who wanted to see the criteria made more stringent.  In response to comments received, EPA is using data collected over the past five years to conduct additional cut-point analyses – a statistical approach the Agency used previously to evaluate relationships between bacteria indicator level and illness – to determine if the data could support a criteria value lower than what was proposed in December 2011.

It appears that this new data analysis may suggest that a criteria value lower than what was originally proposed could be an option for the final criteria, though the quantitation limit of EPA’s analytical method will prevent a significant lowering of the number.  Senior Agency managers will be briefed on the results of these analyses in the coming weeks, but no decisions have been made yet on whether to make any changes.  The current deadline for EPA to publish the final criteria is October 15, 2012; however, the Agency has requested an extension to November 30, 2012.  NACWA’s working group that has tracked EPA’s efforts over the last 18 months is considering this latest information and will determine the Association’s next steps.

WEF, NACWA Collaborate on Utility Leaders Morning at WEFTEC 2012

NACWA and the Water Environment Federation (WEF) are collaborating to bring you the Utility Leaders Morning during WEFTEC 2012 in New Orleans.  The morning of Tuesday, October 2, will feature two sessions dedicated to the top issues facing clean water utilities.  For the first time, NACWA’s popular Hot Topics Breakfast will be co-sponsored by WEF and held at the convention center.  The Hot Topics Breakfast will feature a discussion on the latest regulatory issues with key EPA staff.  Senior officials from the Agency’s Office of Water and Office of Enforcement & Compliance Assurance have been invited to brief participants on the latest developments and answer your questions.  The Hot Topics Breakfast will begin at 8:00 am.  Registration is available and space is limited so RSVP today.

Following the Hot Topics Breakfast, the Utility Executives Forum will provide an opportunity for utility executives and invited guests to discuss management and leadership issues.  The 2012 Utility Executives Forum will focus on opportunities for transformational change for water utilities and the sector broadly.  The Forum begins at 10:00 am, just down the hall from the breakfast.  Utility executives interested in attending the Forum should RSVP directly to WEF’s Arika Lawrence at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Coalition Works to Keep Nutrient Management in Farm Bill

The Healthy Waters Coalition met with six Congressional offices this week in an effort to secure support from House of Representatives members for language in the Senate Farm Bill that provides stable funding to agricultural producers who engage in nutrient management activities.  These offices included those of Representatives Tim Johnson (R-Ill.); Jeff Landry (R-La.); Reid Ribble (R-Wis.); Gwen Moore (D-Wisc.); Corrine Brown (D-Fla.); and Ron Kind (D-Wis.).  Working with these and other offices, the Coalition will identify sponsors for a letter to House agricultural leaders in support of the nutrient management provision to ensure it remains in the final package.   NACWA has more meetings planned for next week and will provide members with updates on this letter and the status of the Farm Bill reauthorization as they become available.

Water Sector Coordinating Council Discusses Mutual Aid Networks

During its quarterly meeting this week, the Water Sector Coordinating Council (WSCC) focused on the progress and issues of Water/Wastewater Agency Response Networks (WARNs).  NACWA’s representatives, Patty Cleveland, Assistant Regional Manager, Northern Region, of the Trinity River Authority, Texas and a NACWA Board member, and Jim Davidson, Manager of Safety & Security with the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, Ohio, participated in the web meeting.  WARNs are intrastate mutual aid and assistance networks, which are organized by utilities and state and local governments to provide rapid deployment of emergency services to restore critical water and wastewater operations.  WARNs have been a very successful emergency response method, but some challenges remain in their implementation, including the ability to cross state lines when the nearest or most appropriate assistance for a utility needing aid is in an adjacent state.  The WSCC identified WARNs as a potential item of focus for the Roadmap to a Secure & Resilient Water Sector, a document that a WSCC workgroup is currently updating (see the August 17 Clean Water Current for more information).

The WSCC also learned that EPA has decided in favor of the Council’s recommendation to update VSAT (a NACWA-developed vulnerability-assessment tool) to comply with the J-100 Standard for Risk and Resilience Management of Water and Wastewater Systems.  A new, open-access vulnerability assessment tool is also being developed by AEM Corporation, and this tool will also be J-100 compliant.  The WSCC and NACWA will follow EPA’s progress on this VSAT update, and will let members know when it is available for utility use.

National Environmental Achievement Award Nominations Open

NACWA is currently accepting nominations for the 2013 National Environmental Achievement Awards (NEAA) program, recognizing individuals and Member Agencies for their actions and initiatives to protect and improve the environment.  The application deadline for the 2013 awards is Friday, Oct. 19.  The NEAA recognizes extraordinary contributions through outstanding advocacy or innovative projects that have had a positive impact on the environment, utilities, communities, the Association, and/or the clean water industry.  To apply or view the application guidelines and criteria visit the NACWA website.  Please feel free to contact Kelly Brocato at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or at 202/833-1449 with any questions.

Water & Wastewater Leadership Center Applications Now Being Accepted

Applications are now being accepted for the 2013 Water & Wastewater Leadership Center executive education program, February 24– March 8, 2013, at the Kenan-Flagler Business School on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  The deadline for applications is Friday, October 26.  Interested individuals are strongly encouraged to apply early, as space in the program is limited.  The Leadership Center is specifically designed to prepare current and up-and-coming public and private water and wastewater utility leaders to effectively and efficiently manage their utilities.  The Leadership Center is a joint venture of NACWA, the Water Environment Federation (WEF), the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) and the American Water Works Association (AWWA), and is offered in collaboration with the American Public Works Association (APWA) and the National Association of Water Companies (NAWC).

No other program cultivates water sector leadership and management skills like this intensive 12-day executive management learning experience. Students are challenged to broaden their perspective on evolving issues facing utilities and the changing business environment, while key course elements provide instruction on how to think strategically and lead confidently. This targeted curriculum is enhanced by the state-of-the-art facilities, as well as the engaging and dynamic instructors. Leadership Center brochures and applications have been forwarded to all members. You may also request a Leadership Center application or additional information by visiting the Conferences and Professional Development section of NACWA’s website or by contacting Kelly Brocato at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Join NACWA for its Social Market Leadership Web Seminars!

The most powerful methods of building relationships and impacting customer education and engagement are personal interaction, word of mouth, and testimonials. Beginning in September, and continuing through the new year, NACWA will convene six exceptional high-value seminars provided by Summer Conference keynote speaker and author of Return on Impact, David Nour and his colleague and social media expert KiKi L’Italien.  Issues covered in the web seminars include:

• Blogging, Content Curation and Online Presence Best Practices
• Why You Should Get Proactive on Twitter Now!
• Are You Really LinkedIn?
• Leveraging Facebook for Utilities
• YouTube and the Power of Video
• Emerging Social Applications – Foursquare, Pinterest, and Storify

You’ll want to gather your staff for our discussions on real world examples of organizations putting their best foot forward on social media.  Join us as we challenge you to think differently than you have before about the way you communicate!  Visit NACWA’s website for more details on these invaluable Seminars.

Tune In for Law & Order: SPU (Special Pretreatment Unit) on September 20

What do you do when billowy foam with a fruity odor starts overflowing from your treatment plant on a regular basis? Tracking down the culprit can be more difficult than you would think!  How many local, state, and federal agencies does it take to shut down an electroplating business with 20 years of violation history?  While every utility seeks cooperation from its industrial users, bad actors sometimes do not want to follow the rules, leading utilities to take on the roles of detective and prosecutor.  On September 20, 2:00-3:30 pm (Eastern), NACWA will present Law & Order: SPU (Special Pretreatment Unit), a web seminar featuring two case studies about local pretreatment programs that investigated and pursued legal action against illicit dischargers. This web seminar offers the perfect opportunity for all of your utility’s pretreatment staff to access this exciting offering so Register today!

Biogas Production Webinar Available to NACWA Members at a Discounted Rate

The American Biogas Council, a Supporting Affiliate of NACWA, is sponsoring a series of web seminars on maximizing biogas production through anaerobic digestion – and is offering special discount participation rates for NACWA members.   The next web seminar is Thursday, August 30, from 12:00-1:00 pm (Eastern).  Maximizing Your Biogas Production: Key Digester Operation Tactics, Tips and Lessons Learned will examine a number of important topics, including biogas plant design, equipment protection, and safety plan development.  The registration brochure is available by clicking here and contains information about special discount rates for NACWA members.